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Michael Phelps will race great white for Shark Week

David Gray / Reuters

After conquering everything that can be achieved in an Olympic swimming pool, Michael Phelps will take on his most dangerous challenge yet: racing a great white shark.

The 23-time Olympic gold medalist will participate in two separate programs to air during Shark Week this summer, the Discovery Channel announced Thursday.

In "Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White," the aquatics legend will race the carnivorous predator.

Great white sharks are able to reach a top speed of 26 mph in short bursts, so the smart money is on the fish - and offshore betting is bound to be huge.

Phelps will also swim with sharks in "Shark School with Michael Phelps," a program that aims to refute mistaken beliefs about the animal while teaching him "how to stay calm when a hammerhead swims two feet above his face."

"Phelps vs. Shark" debuts July 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET; "Shark School" airs July 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

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